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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26682043">Gifts</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kariachi/pseuds/Kariachi'>Kariachi</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Ben 10 Series</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Adoptive family, Alien Culture, Birthday Presents, Gen, Kwarrel Lives AU, Trans Kevin, best parent in the franchise fight me, pre-alien force</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 03:15:21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>658</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26682043</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kariachi/pseuds/Kariachi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>They don't have a lot, but that doesn't mean Kevin can't get nice things.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Gifts</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A single ex-con on the run while trying to raise a teenager did not have the time or money to be decking out the child the way Kwarrel would’ve preferred. Kevin, as far as he concerned, more than deserved the sort’ve fully-embroidered outfits only the elders of the wealthiest families wore, awash with metal and gem beading. He himself could’ve lived the rest of his life, if need be, in the same ratty and all-but-invisible work that was all he’d been able to manage for himself in Incarcecon, but for Kevin, for his brilliant and battered son, that just wasn’t enough. There was no way for him to <em>get</em> him enough. At least, not without one or both of them going back to crime, and Kwarrel wanted better for his boy.</p>
<p>So, he made do with simple thread and cutting back on sleep for the sake of things like finishing the perfect sixteenth birthday present.</p>
<p>“Two presents? You’d think it was my birthday or something.” Reaching across the kitchen table, Kwarrel gently cuffed the boy across the back of the head with a smile.</p>
<p>“I can always return one,” he ‘threatened’. Kevin just beamed at him, tearing into the first bundle with rampant enthusiasm.</p>
<p>“Yesss!” The boy held the journal inside like it was made a gold, something Kwarrel couldn’t help but chuckle at. Two years since he’d mentioned having liked writing before everything went to shit for him, since Kwarrel had gotten him something to write with and on, with him going through a small handful of the things each year, and still Kevin treated every one like a gift from his own god.</p>
<p>“I take it it meets your exacting standards?” Placing it protectively in his lap Kevin turned to Kwarrel, his smile turning half smirk.</p>
<p>“It’ll do.” The little shit.</p>
<p>“I certainly hope so,” Kwarrel replied, and waved towards the remaining package. “Get the other one too, now, some of us aren’t taking the day.” Kwarrel had work to do while Kevin was getting a shopping trip via Argit, who’d managed some good deals recently and was going to take full advantage. Kevin stuck his tongue out at him, but got to work with a smile anyway. His eyes blew wide as he lifted the gift up.</p>
<p>“<em>Dad</em>.” Honestly, Kwarrel was immensely proud of this one. The journal was a relatively cheap thing, but this, this had had put his own sweat into. A dull black jacket which he had carefully hand-embroidered. Setting his new journal on the table, Kevin stood and slid the jacket on. It was a bit large on him, but then Kwarrel had been forced to guess how much he would grow between purchase and today so really it was a good estimate. With Kevin’s arms down two lines of interlocking gears in various shades of grey and occasionally steel blue started at his hips and crossed over his torso, going over his arms before coming back down to end at the back of the hips they’d started on. It was a fairly feminine design, at least back on Ha’n, that granted the illusion of a broader middle to support the preference for a heavy build. But in his month on Earth he had been encouraged by notice that women’s designs seemed to emphasize a smaller waist, assuaging any worries that something he’d chosen based on Kevin’s preference to have no indication that he even <em>possessed</em> one would be rejected. There was vindication in the way he looked down at the straight cut, tugging on one gear-lined cuff with watery eyes. The grin he turned on him was wide enough it had to hurt.</p>
<p>Within a heartbeat his arms were full of young human, Kevin’s thrown around his neck.</p>
<p>“Thanks, dad,” he said, his tone breathy, and Kwarrel couldn’t help the smile aching on his own face, straightening the boy’s similarly embroidered collar as he hugged him back.</p>
<p>“Happy birthday, Kev.”</p>
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